The Argead dynasty was the royal house of ancient Macedonia, whose members claimed descent from the Greek city of Argos and ultimately from the hero Heracles. The kingdom, centered on the capital Aegae and later Pella, began as a small and often weak state on the northern fringe of the Greek world. It was transformed by Philip II, who reformed the army, unified Macedonia and made it the dominant power in Greece. His son Alexander the Great then conquered the Persian Empire and extended Macedonian rule to Egypt and the edge of India. After Alexander's death in 323 BCE his generals fought over his empire, and the line of Argead kings ended with the murder of his young son Alexander IV.
Before and after
- from 722 BCE to 223 BCEChu
- from 706 BCE to 605 BCEOrigins of Dur-Sharrukin
- c. 700s BCEConstruction of Great Wall of China
- 8th century BCELibrary of Ashurbanipal
- from 700 BCE to 309 BCEArgead dynasty
- from 664 BCE to 332 BCELate Period of ancient Egypt
- from 664 BCE to 525 BCETwenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt
- c. 660 BCEImperial House of Japan (traditional date)
- c. 657 BCEFounding of Byzantium (Istanbul)
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- from 8th century BCE to 3rd centuryClassical antiquity
- from 206 BCE to 220 CEHan dynasty
- 200 BCEOrigins of Nazca Lines
- 19 BCEConstruction of Western Wall
- from 375 CE to 568 CEMigration Period
- from 476 CE to 1492Middle Ages
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 7th century BCE.